~Sang's POV~

Once night had fallen and the boys had gone to sleep I grudgingly slipped out of Owen's arms.

I was in cat' form again, sleeping on his bed. It was better for the both of us, me because I still couldn't deal with sleeping alone and him because, well... his past still haunted him.

This only served to give me the urge to go into a killing spree; not for the first time I had to restrain myself from avenging my boys, the feral side of my personality wanted to shed blood for all their pain and suffering.

Leaping out of his room I ran back to mine and kicked the door closed behind myself.

Letting my powers gather around me, thickening the air with magic, I allowed the change to take place as the fur receded and I grew in size until becoming human once again.

I strode over to the closet and selected the darkest clothes in there, making sure they would cover me from head to toe.

Leaving the room in dark jeans, black, long-sleeve shirt, black boots and my hair in a ponytail I descended the stairs keeping silent.

Once in the front wall I drew a protective spell on the front door, one that would protect the whole house, and prepared to leave.

I was a woman in a mission. The memories of Marie's attack against me and then my mates swirled in my head leaving me in a foul mood. Add to it all the hurt I could see and feel through the bond I already had with a few of them and I was downright pissed off.

"Where do you think you are going at this time of night?" the growl reached me before his scent could, making me jump startled and yelp in fright.

Spinning around to face my growly mate I was met with his usual scowl.

North was dressed in black, pajamas pants only, leaving his chest and all his muscles in perfect display as he stood at the top of the stairs with his hands on his hips.

I felt a blush rising in my face as my eyes roamed his body. I couldn't stop myself even with my upbringing rearing its ugly head to admonish me about propriety and what not.

I mentally told my upbringing to shove its opinion where the sun doesn't shine as I took one more look at North's chest before raising my eyes to his.

He was mine and I could look at him all I wanted, never mind that he didn't know it yet.

Maybe I was spending too much time inside Gabriel's head.

North's eyes were darker than usual as he looked down at me and a smirk had found its way to his face, softening his expression considerably.

I gulped.

Mine, my cat purred happily.

"Well?" North said, his voice rumbling down at me, "Where were you going and why?" his tone had become suspicious and I wished I could read his thoughts as well.

I considered his question for a moment before deciding to be sincere. "Hunting. I need to find my sister, obviously. Among other things." I mumbled the last part.

Other things being the vampire Senate, to who I still had to pay a small visit.

A bloody one, my cat purred and I agreed, fury seething in my belly.

"What other things?" he asked, surprising me.

I just shrugged at him, not willing to comment about that small part.

North's frown had returned as he walked down the stairs, his muscles shifting in a very distracting way that made my mouth water.

With difficulty I focused back on his face and tried to listen to what he was saying.

"You shouldn't be going out alone at night, even if you are a powerful vampire. It's dangerous." He said, or rather growled at me.

I smiled at him, feeling my heart melt at the worry I heard in his tone. That was a first, something that I had only gotten from him and his brothers.

People didn't fear for me, they feared me.

"I will be fine." I told him softly.

"Fine my ass." He barked.

Yup, he had a fine ass, alright.

Gosh, Gabriel was really messing with my vocabulary...

"Really, North. There is nothing for you to worry about." I told him less patiently. I wasn't a kid, nor was I defenseless, something he should know by now.

"You haven't fed today." Was his answer.

My eyebrows rose up, "Are you offering?" he was right, of course. I had forgotten to eat and now that he'd pointed it out I felt the pain that seemed to accompany day and night, becoming stronger when I didn't feed.

It rankled that he could tell what I needed than I myself could.

He stopped right before me, a few inches of space only between us as he stared down at me, "If you need blood you just have to ask, baby." He told me softly.

His softer tone helped me to calm down, taming my fury a little. His eyes were filled with worry and apprehension and it made my heart twist in my chest.

I knew he was struggling to let me do what I needed to do, what we all needed for me to do. It was his nature to protect others, not the other way around.

He lifted his hand and caressed my cheek softly before speaking, "At least let me lend you whatever strength I have in me."

I closed my eyes and took in his musky scent. He smelled of man, oil and musk.

My hand rose to clasp the one that still caressed my cheek, my face leaning into his touch as I nuzzled into his touch.

The warmth from his body reached to me through the distance between us and I felt tempted to step in his direction, ending that distance as I leaned up in my tip-toes to sink my fangs on his neck.

The need was so strong that I felt a shiver run down my spine as I fought against the instinct.

Too soon, I told myself.

Not soon enough, my cat grumbled.

Turning my face to the side I laid a kiss at his palm, hearing as he sucked in a deep breath at the loving gesture.

I kissed a trail to his pulse point and licked the small bit of skin, readying him for the bite.

His skin tasted salty and I felt his pulse speed up under my lips before I opened my mouth and sank my fangs on his wrist.

Rich, thick blood filled my mouth, full of power and strength that my body lacked greatly.

The pain from hunger receded once more, leaving just a twinge in its place as my body greedily accepted what North was willingly giving.

Once I was done he raised both arms to lay his hands against the door behind be, caging me in. Leaning down so we were face to face he murmured, "Come back to me, Sang baby. Come back to us."

I swallowed back the pieces of my heart that were trying to fly out of my mouth and throw themselves at his feet.

The bond was already starting to form between me and him, a thread that I could grab onto and follow until I found him.

"I promise." I whispered back to him before disappearing like the smoke in the wind.

~North's POV~

"Shit!" I breathed staring at the empty spot right before me, startled once again at what Sang was capable of doing.

I think I shouldn't be surprised anymore, but it got to me every time.

Now she was off alone, going only God known's where in search of dangerous beings who wanted to hurt my family.

I loved that protectiveness that she so clearly felt towards all of us. It was something that made me attracted to her from the start.

But I also hated it with feeling because it meant she would be putting herself on the line of fire.

Now, I wasn't stupid. I knew she was fucking powerful and smart, I could tell that just from staring into her eyes.

But that look of haunted vulnerability that sometimes appeared in there almost brought me to my knees and made me wish I could tuck her away somewhere safe.

Stepping away from the door I stood silent for a moment, studying the marks she left on it when she'd used her power earlier.

The door now held an intricate design of vines, leaves and flowers, similar to the one on her tower's door. This one was in a light pink color with a few mixes of hunter green, orange, light blue and dark grey mixed together.

Looking down at my arm I saw a black tattoo with the same vines reaching up from my wrist to my biceps.

I studied the marks that represented her magic, her strength and felt oddly proud.

It had nothing to do with gaining powers or eternal life. She'd branded me and I felt like a part of me now belonged to her.

Even if she didn't realize it yet.

Hers.

Would I be able to make her mine?

~Sang's POV~

I walked away from the house feeling as if I had left my heart behind, which I likely had.

But that was not a bad thing.

A heart had no place where I was going, after all. I went in search of my deranged sister and there would be no mercy for her.

Away from the boys I felt more like my old self, cold, calculating and dangerous.

It was shocking how very... soft I became when they were around, turning shy and wanting to please them.

None of it made me weak, however.

I knew what I was.

I was a very dangerous monster and loving someone didn't diminish my strength. It made me stronger.

And, as Marie would soon find out, more prone to violence now that I had something to protect.

The paranormal world would see the danger of giving a monster something to love.

Running through the mostly empty streets I kept to the shadows, invisible to those who were human.

I might not know this Charleston, but I knew the scents in the wind and I felt the presence of those like me.

Letting my powers stretch around me like tendrils of smoke I set them free in the breeze, in search of my targets.

North had been right in stopping me from leaving earlier. His blood cursing through my veins revived a few more of my powers, giving me an added edge.

I felt the first vampire was close by, found by one of my tendrils of smoke.

The second and third were a few blocks away and to the south.

More were to the north.

The night went on as I searched and cataloged how many vampires currently live in Charleston and where they were, my brain keeping tabs on every little detail as I walked through the city.

Soon, I found the location of the building the senate was currently using, and made a mental note to return another day.

Sadly, I couldn't find Marie anywhere.

Seemed that dear sister had left town, but I knew it would only be a matter of time before she returned, driven by curiosity and her need to make me suffer.

Looking up at the sky I watched as the dark blue lightened.

The sun was coming and the hunt would have to be postponed.

My boys were waiting.

~Owen's POV~

I woke up alone in bed and a twinge of disappointment hit my heart.

Without realizing what I was doing, my mind went in search of hers.

"Mr. Blackbourne." Her voice sounded in my head, sweet and soothing. "I am coming home now."

"I didn't mean to disturb you, Miss Sorenson." I answered her automatically, politely, while I cringed at having reached to her like a lonely pup.

The way I sometimes found myself acting around her was... disconcerting, to say the least.

"You can call for me anytime, Dear." She answered, and I felt my gut clenching again at the intimacy of hearing her in my mind.

You would think such a thing would be disturbing, but I actually felt it was oddly comforting.

Rising from the bed I went to the bathroom, wanting to be properly dressed before she came back.

"May I ask where you were?" I question her, my curiosity getting the better of me.

That and my wish to keep the connection between us open.

"I was acquainting myself to the city and its residents." She answered promptly.

However, I could hear a certain edge to her tone, an hardness to her thoughts.

I raised an eyebrow while taking my shower, "Who?" I found myself asking her, the feeling that I knew exactly who she was searching filling my mind.

"Marie." She said.

I frowned, "I'd rather you had told me first before going off in search of her."

"I do not work for you, Mr. Blackbourne." She said, her tone biting.

I sighed, "I know you don't. But I care for you all the same, Miss Sorenson." I told her quietly as I dressed in one of my best suits.

I felt as she calmed down somewhat.

I understood how difficult it was for her to accept us in her life even if she was the one who had requested it in the first place.

She was used to loneliness.

My heart twisted in pain every time I thought about how alone she'd been all this time; and yet when I considered how strong she was I felt amazed.

She was such an amazing, broken, strong girl.

"I am home." She whispered in my mind and I melted a little more, knowing somehow that she'd never had a real home before but she thought of us as her home now.

"Welcome back." I said when I finally descended the stairs and met her in the front wall.

She was dressed in the sort of clothes I would expect north to be wearing and her hair was a mess, escaping its ponytail to fall around her flushed face.

She was simply stunning.

I felt her self-consciousness as my gaze began to trail over her body again, this time slower, and I knew that she felt out of place because of our difference in clothing.

I forced my gaze back to hers and offered a little smile, extending my arm to her, elbow out.

She smiled and laid her hand over it.

This at least I could always offer to her, the old-world gentlemanly ways that were so rare now and so familiar to her.

"Breakfast should be ready." I murmured.

She nodded her head, a sense of amusement coming from her the only warning that I had before walking into my kitchen.

Breakfast was indeed ready and properly placed on the table. But the rest of the kitchen looked as if an hurricane had been in it.

I stared aghast as flour and something that I suspected was chocolate seemed to cover every little space there was to cover on the cooking area.

Mr. Luke Taylor stood in the middle of the chaos with a sheepish look in his gaze while Mr. Coleman stood beside him with a triumphant grin on his face.

"I am sorry, Mr. B. but it is impossible to fix this. We will just have to redecorate your whole kitchen." He said with a straight face and a confident tone of voice.

Now I understood why Miss Sorenson was so amused.

I glared at the two boys before saying in a frosty tone "Clean this up. Now." But inside I was laughing.

Some things never changed, these boys were still a handful just like they had been when we were all younger. And yet, I wouldn't have them any other way.

What did that say about my person?

That I was a masochist?

"That you are a loving older brother." Came the whispered comment inside my mind and I offered Miss Sorenson a small smile which she returned with a sweet one, her green eyes looking up at me with a softness in them that made a warm feeling spread from my chest to the rest of my body.

And to my utter shock I found myself wondering if maybe, just maybe, if given the chance I would also be a loving boyfriend.

AN: So, to me it's just 1 am but it is already Wednesday, so here is your update. I am posting this early today because I will spend the whole day tomorrow/today somewhere without Wi-Fi. Also, I didn't have the time to check it for any errors, and my brain went to sleep a couple of hours ago so I apologize of something is a bit weird in this chapter, I will fix it when I am back on Thursday if you help me by pointing out any mistakes :)

XOXO ~ Mila